It's always exciting when someone you know has a dream come true! You may remember Keris Stainton as one of the previous Trashionista editors. Now, however, she'll be answering the questions as her debut novel, Della Says, has just been released. We spoke to Keris about her brand new novel, the inspiration behind it, and what she'll be working on next!To check out the Della Says blog tour, click here.
Please describe your books in 15 words or fewer.
Della's diary's missing. How can she enjoy first love when someone is spreading her secrets?
(That was hard!)
What inspired you to write Della Says?
My own diary going missing when I was a teenager! My sister had a party when our parents were away and the next day I couldn't find my diary. It eventually turned up, but in the meantime, I was expecting someone to use it to humiliate me (cos that's the kind of paranoid teenager I was!) So then I started thinking about how much worse that would be if you were a teenager now, with so many more opportunities to share information.
Where do you do most of your writing?
In my office (the front room of our house). It's very messy and I'm surrounded by piles of washing, bags of stuff to go to the charity shop, my 5-year-old's bike... And in the summer ants come in from the front garden and scurry all over my desk!
As you were previously editor here at Trashionista, I have to ask: What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Lisa Jewell's Thirtynothing. Every detail is perfect. I love the characters and the setting. I could happily read it over and over.
And what about your favourite YA?The Princess Diaries series. I know that's cheating, picking a whole series, but I couldn't choose just one book. It's so sweet and funny and Mia Thermopolis is such a great character.
Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
Probably Mia. I love her so much that if my son had been a girl, I was planning to name him Mia.
Do you write in any other genre?
Not so much, no. I've written an adult book, but that's chick lit too. It's what I (mostly) read, so it's also what I write.
What part of Della Says was most fun to write?
I love Della's parents, so I had fun writing any of their scenes. But really all of it was fun apart from the actual diary extracts, which I found really hard. They have to be embarrassing to Della, which meant they were embarrassing to me too. I had to get over it, but I still cringe thinking about them.
Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?
Join a writing group. An online one is fine if you're self-conscious about reading your work aloud (which is also fine, btw - I still can't do it). If you can't find one that suits, start your own. I founded a chick lit writing group a few years ago and it was the best thing I did for my writing.
What are you currently reading?
I'm re-reading Meg Cabot's All-American Girl: Ready or Not. And after that I'll be reading Judy Blume's Deenie and the a book called Pop by Aury Wallington. And if anyone knows what those three books have in common (the reason I'm reading them, I mean, rather than that they're all YA or by American authors or whatever), then I'll send them a copy of my book!
Are you working on anything at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
At the moment I'm spending so much time promoting Della that I haven't really got time for anything else. But soon - very soon - I'll have to knuckle down and get on with the next book, which will hopefully be out next summer. It's about Jessie who, after having her heart broken, goes to New York for the summer, and an American boy named Finn who is in love with his best friend's girlfriend. Working title is 'Jessie *hearts* NYC'.
Thanks, Keris!
To find out more about Keris and Della Says, check out Keris's website!
